Television Review: Not in Portland (Lost, S3X07, 2007)

Not in Portland (S03E07)

Airdate: 7 February 2007

Written by: Carlton Cuse & Jeff Pinkner
Directed by: Stephen Williams

Running Time: 43 minutes

The sixth episode of Lost's third season was later described by the show's creators as a "mid-season finale", a designation that reflected both the unusually long thirteen-week hiatus that followed and the considerable cliffhanger on which it concluded. When that cliffhanger was finally resolved in the seventh episode, Not in Portland, the response from the series' devoted fanbase was notably underwhelming. Many viewers felt that the resolution lacked the innovation, spectacle, or narrative ambition that such a dramatic pause would seemingly mandate—or that nearly three months of anticipation would justify. However, when examined in a more regular context, divorced from the weight of inflated expectations, Not in Portland emerges as a thoroughly functional episode that efficiently connects the various narrative dots and takes the plot in a sensible direction, albeit without demonstrating much in the way of creative spark or bold storytelling choices.

The plot centres on Jack Shephard at the operating table, faced with a dual objective: successfully remove the tumour from Ben Linus's spine, thereby saving his life, whilst simultaneously creating an opportunity for Kate and Sawyer to end their captivity and escape Hydra Island. In a strategic manoeuvre designed to win trust among the more loyalist faction of the Others, Jack immediately reveals Juliet's treacherous plan to kill Ben during the surgery and stage it as an accidental death. The response from Tom Friendly is notable for its pragmatism—rather than resorting to violence or immediate retribution, he simply asks Juliet to leave the room. This moment of calm, measured decision-making stands in contrast to the heightened emotions typically displayed by the Others and serves as a quiet reminder that not all of Ben's followers are mindless zealots.

Meanwhile, Kate and Sawyer execute their escape from the cages, though the futility of their flight is evident from the outset—they are, after all, trapped on a remarkably small island with limited options for genuine escape. Their pursuers are led by the vengeful Danny Pickett, whose grief over his wife's death has metastasised into a murderous crusade. Pickett makes no attempt to disguise his intention to kill Sawyer and, quite possibly, Kate as well. The duo receives unexpected assistance from Alex, who has her own agenda: she wants their help in freeing her boyfriend Karl, who is being subjected to a video-assisted brainwashing procedure in the ominously named "Room 23". They manage to transport the dazed Karl to a boat, but on the beach they are intercepted by Danny. Just as Sawyer is about to be executed, Juliet appears and shoots Danny dead, subsequently allowing Sawyer, Kate, and Karl to take the boat to the main island whilst telling Alex that she must remain behind because "her father wouldn't like it"—a pointed reference to Ben that subtly reinforces his controlling nature as a parent.

This dramatic intervention occurs after Ben awakens from anaesthesia and demands a private conversation with Juliet. Following their discussion, Juliet instructs Jack to complete the surgery whilst she facilitates the escape of his friends from Hydra Island. Despite some potentially dangerous complications, Jack successfully removes the tumour and Ben's life is preserved. Jack is returned to his cell, but not before Juliet reveals that if Ben survives, she will finally be permitted to leave Hydra Island—a revelation that adds yet another layer of motivation to her character's already complex position within the Others' hierarchy.

The flashback sequences provide essential background to Juliet's character, revealing her as Dr. Juliet Burke, a brilliant fertility researcher attempting to cure her sister Rachel Carson (portrayed by Robin Weigert) of infertility resulting from chemotherapy treatments. Juliet pursues this goal using experimental drugs she has appropriated from the research laboratory overseen by her lecherous and domineering ex-husband, Dr. Edmund Burke, played by Željko Ivanek. Concurrently, Juliet is approached by Richard Alpert, portrayed by Nestor Carbonell, who represents Mittelos Bioscience, a research company ostensibly headquartered in Portland, Oregon. They express interest in hiring Juliet, but she explains that she remains contractually bound to her ex-husband. In a moment of dark humour, she half-jokingly remarks that Edmund would need to be hit by a bus for her to be free of this obligation. Later, on a Miami street, this very scenario unfolds with unsettling precision. After formally identifying Edmund's body at the morgue, Juliet is again approached by Alpert who, now flanked by the familiar figure of Ethan Rom, clarifies that her actual work will take place not in Portland, but somewhere far more remote.

The script, credited to executive producers Carlton Cuse and Jeff Pinkner, adopts a decidedly sensible approach, offering few genuine surprises and allowing the plot to unfold precisely where the audience expected it would. Jack, being a physician bound by the Hippocratic Oath, will inevitably save his captor's life, whilst Kate and Sawyer will ultimately escape their captivity. Even the deus ex machina arrival of Alex, who is strongly implied to be Ben's own daughter, does not feel incongruous, as she had previously demonstrated a willingness to assist the captured survivors. The narrative moves forward with professional competence but rarely strives for anything beyond functional storytelling.

Even Danny Pickett's killing, which might have proven shocking in an earlier episode, here feels rather sensible and, ultimately, inconsequential. The character's overwhelming grief had transformed into an unstable and murderous crusade that rendered him increasingly useless to the Others and their carefully calibrated agenda. His removal from the board was, in many respects, a narrative inevitability rather than a genuinely surprising development.

The flashback component works effectively, notwithstanding some viewers' reservations about Miami being less than convincingly reconstructed on Hawaiian locations. The sequences succeed primarily due to the excellent performance from Elizabeth Mitchell, who displays remarkable range in conveying Juliet's various emotional states—including a vulnerability that she has also brought with her to Hydra Island. The presence of Ethan in these flashbacks serves to tie up loose narrative threads and clearly demonstrates that the Others were not merely castaways stranded on the island, but rather a sophisticated organisation with genuine access to the outside world, utilising research companies as legitimate fronts for their recruitment operations.

Director Stephen Williams also takes the opportunity to incorporate visual homages to famous dystopian films. The scene in which Karl is subjected to brainwashing through a screen displaying suggestive imagery bears a striking resemblance to the Ludovico technique from Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, whilst also evoking the unsettling corporate recruitment sequences from The Parallax View. These cinematic references add a welcome layer of visual sophistication to an otherwise straightforward narrative.

Nevertheless, the episode is not without its flaws. The presence of Rob McElhenney as the unfortunately naive guard "Aldo" feels somewhat indulgent, occurring primarily because the actor was a personal friend of co-creator Damon Lindelof, who was an ardent admirer of his performance in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Additionally, the shot of Kate's walkie-talkie being conveniently destroyed by gunfire in the middle of her conversation with Jack feels like a rather artificial attempt to inject suspense into what is, by design, a highly predictable episode.

In sum, "Not in Portland" represents competent television craftsmanship that delivers necessary plot progression without ever aspiring to greatness.

RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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